LIS

Friday, 13 September 2013

'My ordeal in the hands of kidnappers' - Mike Ozekhome recounts

The human rights lawyer (pictured above with his wife after his release) who said he will never forget his experience in the
hands of his abductors, narrated his ordeal to journalists in his home
in Lagos.

Ozekhome,
who had grown a beard, said he was driven on a rough road for about
four hours to a jungle far removed from civilisation blindfolded, after
he was captured close to Benin City about 3pm on August 23, 2013.

According to Ozekhome, the abductors took him to an uncompleted
building in the bush while a colony of mosquitos descended and fed on
him and other hostages like barbeque in the camp.

According to him, from the moment of his abduction on August 23, he
and 12 other victims were blindfolded by the gang in the camp. Continue...

Ozekhome also said any time they wanted to speak to their abductors,
they must face the ground, as looking at them (kidnappers) could hand
the offender instant death sentence.

“Every 24 hours of the day, we had death sentence hanging on our
head. When any of the kidnappers wanted to speak to us, we must face the
wall or the ground. They treated me gently because they said they had
discovered I’m on the side of the masses, that I have been fighting for
the masses.

Speaking further, he explained that his psychological and physical
trauma was compounded when his son, Barrister Ilugbekhai and one of his
juniors in chambers, Barrister Dominic Ezerioha, were lured and
eventually detained with him in the camp.

He described his abductors as highly organised and well educated,
which, according to him, made it difficult for security operatives to
track them down.

He said: “Even when making phone calls to the families of the
victims, they travelled across four or five states so that where they
make the calls was different from where their victims were kept. They
discussed national issues with high intellect.

“These are graduates of various disciplines, I believe. They
understand philosophy, history, political science and, as I said, they
have their medical team. One of them said he had graduated for six years
without a job and they argued that only 1 per cent of Nigerians have
fraudulently cornered the nation’s wealth; so they raise argument to
justify their actions.”

“They vowed that, in 2015, they will move against the politicians
who they accused of being in the habit of using and dumping them. I
asked them, what is the way out? They requested that the federal
government should also grant them amnesty and that they are ready to lay
down their arms if they are given amnesty just like the Niger Delta
militants.

“They said they are ready to come out of the jungle to remove their
masks and join the roundtable talk if there is assurance that they will
not be arrested by the government.”

According to Ozekhome, the kidnappers have several units and cells
across the nation. “For example, they mentioned several notable
Nigerians who had been kidnapped in the past in the north, east and
west, which they claimed were through their network.”

Contrary to the general belief that the kidnappers usually conduct
background information about their victims, Ozekhome said his abductors
told him that they just operate randomly and that they don’t profile
anybody before they are captured.

“For example, they said they did not know me. They searched through
my pocket. They collected everything including my card. So when they
asked for my name and I told them, they said yes it is true.”

Moving forward, Ozekhome urged the federal government to declare a
state of emergency on insecurity. According to him, a situation where
none of us is safe on the road, in the air, on the water, in the day
time or at night is a serious and monumental problem and we cannot
continue to fold our hands.

He linked the problem of insecurity fundamentally to the massive
youth unemployment in the country which he described as complex and
gargantuan.

Consequently, he called on the government to declare a state of
emergency on youth unemployment as any further delay may spell doom for
the nation. He described youth unemployment as the father of Boko Haram,
militancy, kidnapping and robbery.

134 comments:

Summarily, government is the cause of all these! no jobs, employment rate zero, price of goods and commodities..high! what do you want people to do?? people are angry, people are hungry! men have families, no job to take care of them nor send their kids to schools. it translates.

I repeat! people are getting deperate! our politicians are enriching themselves forgetting the masses put them where they are.

WAKE UP NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT!!!!!!!!

or else????? I don't see this kidnapping menace coming to an end any time soon.

I hope the kidnappers keep to their promise of turning on corrupt politicians come 2015.You know its a major problem when criminal acts become organised with subordinate units scattered across the country.Change...when would it come?A true leader...has he been born?Nigeria...Smh!

How revealing!! To some degree most people who engage in kidnapping may be driven to it as a result of unemployment but then they are still millions making a legal living despite the harsh Nigerian polity, our securities operatives just need to be abreast of the latest tactics used by these criminals to check mate them.

How revealing!! To some degree most people who engage in kidnapping may be driven to it as a result of unemployment but then they are still millions making a legal living despite the harsh Nigerian polity, our security operatives just need to be abreast of the latest tactics used by these criminals to check mate them.

How revealing!! To some degree most people who engage in kidnapping may be driven to it as a result of unemployment but then they are still millions making a legal living despite the harsh Nigerian polity, our security operatives just need to be abreast of the latest tactics used by these criminals to check mate them.

It all still balls down to our messed up Govt. No jobs, no light, no water, no good road, nothing for the masses, but some assholes can be re shuffling ministers, changing sick plate numbers and shit! Is that the way forward in this God forsaking country ??? May God Help Us.

True talk sir, Youth unemployment is d father of all dis heinous crimes.. I met a course-mate of mine of recent driving Danfo(commercial bus); an MBA holder.. Whaooo, I felt it to my bone.. If such person becomes so frustrated and someone invites him to just one deal of kidnap that will fetch millions, what do u think will happen? May D Mighty God come to d rescue of our Nation. Amen

If everybody start to demand for amnesty ,we all need amnesty too,we all agree that 1% out of over 170 million people have cornered the nation wealth to themselves but this issue did not start today,it is a decade of rot in the sytem,today IBB and Abacha family are still walking free after several atrocities they committed.Two wrongs can never make a right.

The SAN is very wrong, Is amnesty the new employment program for the youths or another way of encouraging criminality then let drug traffickers, yahoo yahoo be granted amnesty as well. the solution to this nation crime is personal reorientation, in every little position u find urself lead by example. our leaders are thieves what do u expect the followers to do? even the bible says be ye imitators of Christ. pls let live and lead by example fellow Nigerians.

The SAN is very wrong, Is amnesty the new employment program for the youths or another way of encouraging criminality then let drug traffickers, yahoo yahoo be granted amnesty as well. the solution to this nation crime is personal reorientation, in every little position u find urself lead by example. our leaders are thieves what do u expect the followers to do? even the bible says be ye imitators of Christ. pls let live and lead by example fellow Nigerians.

So much joy and luv in those two pictures, its a good thing he got his freedom, no be only kidnappers need amnesty, phcn need am, Asuu sef need am infact everybody for the country need amnesty as for Boko haram kill them all

I dunno where this country will be in 2015.@ the moment,The govt are only concerned abt their parties and how they will loot money and spend it on Politics in 2015.Its soo sad Our nation is drowning and we the citizens are watching it sink.We are the only ones that can help ourselves God will not come down to help us if that's what we are thinking.This Politicians have ridiculed us enough now yet we are still folding our arms for them to do more.Is it until when they sell we the citizens that we will start rising against them.Well I don't blame them when they know that the Average Nigerian Does not know His right.

I smell exaggerations and lies, if dey α̲̅я̩̥̊ε̲ smart enough to do the 'calculated' kidnap, they should use that head to start business, evrybody cannot work for the government, and z dis mike guy now saying dat kidnapping z pardonable wit amnesty? Na wa 4 Nigeria o!....I pray this gang is arrested and dealt with seriously, if they do not run checks on their victims, how were they so lucky in catching high profiled individuals?...abegii, some incomplete lie brewing.....next gist joo....ASUU preferably

I hope FG listen to him, Mike was kidnapped and he was made to feel the agony of the Nigerian Youths, thousand of our youths are out there jobless and our useless politicians are getting fat on our money daily. 2015 is here and we'll cast out d corrupt politicians with our votes, political party or not, we want credible leaders

Hmmm..I thank God for Mike Ozekhome's life, I am happy for his wife and children. Please dear kidnappers, You should face the politicians and leave the common man alone! Politicians are the cause of all our problems!

I think the problem is our leader they are egocentric, belief me there are no jobs, have applied for jobs on the internet, writing applications still yet no way, I have good grade from the school, am not physically challenged Everything now is Man know man, the available jobs are contracts, and casual jobs imagine access bank recruiting graduate for two months jobs with highly profile guarrantors, am ashame of my country, fuck govt,

What bothers me everytime i read this story is the poor security men that lost their lives during the kidnap,,they shuld also remember that they have loving wives and kids that awaited a warm embrace from them*sobs*

I remember when we sang 'parents listen to your children, we are the leaders of tomorrow' that was donkey years ago. Apparently Nigeria does not understand the concept of 'tomorrow'. For more than 40 years it's being the same people ruling Nigeria, either in military regalia or civilian. Whether as president or as senator, they are all the same people. Having seen that joke where a teacher asks a boy: Nigeria will be better tomorrow. What type of sentence is that? And the boy replies: Future Impossible tense. Exactly. When you continue to use a particular formula 4 a problem and get d same result, change your approach abi? For Nigeria? Pfft!!! The same people have been running in circles 4 40yrs. FYI this amnesty thing will come to chew our ass one day. 1st militants, then BH, then kidnappers, may rapists, murderers soon.

Govt should do something about job creation,starting from restoring electricity,putting our refinaries in order as well as building infrastructures that will enhance development,this is going to give ample opportunities for industries to sprang up as well as reducing the cost of production of goods and services.with this cost of living will be low and all these issues of arm robbery,kidnappng,boko haram will be a thing of the past.

Indeed! it all boils down to our corrupt government who we the masses elected to protect our rights but are busy enriching themselves and their generations. These kidnappers should also go after the government officials and let the innocent citzens be.

Kidnappers should please kidnap corrupt politicians n their families n leave innocent Nigerians alone.The situation in the country is really pathetic.You struggle to excel in the university n find it difficult to get a job....its really sad.There's no way u'll go to college in America n be jobless.

SIXTH TO COMMENT,PLS DEAR KIDNAPPERS KEEP UR PROMISE AND FACE THE SO CALLED POLITICIANS MILKING THIS COUNTRY,HUNT THEM DOWN SO THAT THEY WILL CLEAN UP THEIR ACTS AND RESTORE THE GLORY OF THE YOUTHS.IT IS HIGH TIME THEY GET A TASTE OF THEIR OWN MEDICINE.I DON'T SUPPORT EVIL O

His wife is short, fat and ugly! How are we sure he didn't organise this kidnapping of a thing just to get away from her - haha.

Ok. Bad joke. I'm glad he is home safely. It's a real pity that our graduates have to resort to such riidculously low levels to be heard. There are truly no jobs at all in this country. Everybody trades. Buy and sell. No manufacaturing. No jobs. And they keep reducing the number of banks in the country thus increasing the number of unemployed persons.

Advice to our young graduates. It is not by force to work in a bank to telco. Go and start something small and grow your own business and employ our future graduates Abeg! No more drug trafficking, kidnapping and travelling abroad for greener pastures.

The SAN is very wrong, Is amnesty the new employment program for the youths or another way of encouraging criminality then let drug traffickers, yahoo yahoo be granted amnesty as well. the solution to this nation crime is personal reorientation, in every little position u find urself lead by example. our leaders are thieves what do u expect the followers to do? even the bible says be ye imitators of Christ. pls let live and lead by example fellow Nigerians.

Kidnapping innocent people can never be justified, Nigeria is not the only country where things are tough but Nigerians will always find a reason to justify their bad deeds. I guess its also the lack of youth unemployment that is causing Nigerian youths in USA, UK, Malaysia, Singapore, Ukraine, Spain etc to be doing fraud and crime. It's such a shame because these kidnappers will never be arrested. Everybody wants quick money and no one wants to work, the system is rotten, Nigerians cant handle a democratic setting. We as a people are so lawless and wayward

No Jobs in ds country, c me n my 2 brodas dat graduated wt 2nd class upper, we ve no jobs. We ve bn at home ever since. I'm so broke to d extent dat if I c #500 in a week I ll b very happy, I don't even ve a single penny in account. Ds real world is hard, if u don't ve connections or frm wealthy home. Anyways God dey, I m even luking for who ll borrow me 30k to start a small business now. I don't knw wat else to do.

The kidnapper's thought process and actions is a little plausible. The govt has never cared about the masses from the get go, so kidnapping every day individuals that are trying to make a living does not make the govt or politicians lose sleep. When kidnappers start kidnapping the law makers themselves or their kids, then they will make it a national and urgent issue to curb youth unemployment and all the basic amenities that are not available.... Please note I am totally against kidnapping but I just know our politicians from day one, have been all about "me, myself, I and maybe my family"... so it wont phaze nor move them when ordinary every day naijas are stolen... MY 2KOBO

My first comment since i got addicted to this blog. It is unfortunate that we can't solve evil with evil, even as much as i want to support there 2015 action. Amnesty the usual cry for doing wrong, it is not an excuse to continue in shit. It is also unfortunate our environment doesn't encourage creativity towards a positive angel, that is why the youth is involved... our hope our future...i pray everyday that we all would realize our goal of making Nigeria habitable for each other... and at least cut down on materialism, that obsession that destroys us

Amnesty indeed!this country is a joke so kidnappers are now asking/wishing for amnesty?is it not same country we all struggling and hustling on our own?if everyone start telling there stories it's always rough,it's lazy people that choose to do kidnapping ,harm robbing blah blah.....they should continue to live their lives inside the bush everyday is for thief one day is for the owner

Rosie Said....... This is exactly my point,that those people and their families who has had the experience of kidnapping should form a pressure group and demand an end to this dangerous situation. If kidnappers can be organized and carry out their evil activities with military precision how much more a government.The government of Jonathan should be ashamed of themselves.Instead going to River's state to show how powerful he is,let him use that show of power to crush kidnappers,armed robbery,boko haram,tackle bribery and corrucption,mend our roads,uninterrupted power supply, portable water,education,the list goes on and on,sometimes i just wonder if we will ever get it togeather as nation.

More doom to come untill Government provide job for the youth and stop this discrimination between HND holders and B.SC. After establishing Polytechnic and collecting school fees now government Ȋ̝̊̅§ saying ₪☺ job opportunity for HND holder. Last time Federal Civil Service recruit there Wα̲̅ڪ ₪☺ space for HND now Immigration Ȋ̝̊̅§ recruiting still ₪☺ space for HND and Ȋ̝̊̅§ the same government that established the institution. Linda pls help to tell the Federal Government (all those in power) as they are playing the music, they should be ready to dance to the tune of the music.

What ever reason giving is not justify for some to use crime as excuse. In this same Nigeria a lot of young men and women are growing from zero to hero. The population of this country an advantage to us. All one needs to do is to identify a need and profer solution and he/she starts making money. These needs is everywhere if only we can think

Me I don't see any reaSon why hardworking nigerians should be kidnapped at random as a result of unemployment by the government. If the kidnappers think the government is the reason why dey are doing what they are doing, then they should kidnapp the peopLe in the government! The ones they think are corrupt!!!! They kidnapped a family friend and after the family paid millions they still haven't released till date! Its over a year now! And they are blaming the government and kidnapping civilians. I really don't unerstand! If they want to leave the jungle they should. No one knows who they are. All they are interested in is money from the fg and in their minds o they are getting justice. We all blame the government for everything but the corruption has eaten to the roots of this nation. Heads of committees down to secondary school level are all chopping money. The fact that the situation in the country is bad doesn't make you as a person lose ones sense of right and wrong!

I don't undestand why those that were in power when I was in primary school are still the ones there now.All I see is old men and old women that does not want to retire.When we av political student that graduate every year without any political appointment or office rather than kidnappers and other criminal acts.It is time for we Youths to wake up and protest against these nonsense going on if only we can come out as one.May God help us.

Let the government enjoy their wealth wella. enjoy it till it comes out of your nose. but don't forget...the consequence of your ill gotten wealth.. the cries of the masses and the curses hovering above your head...and that of your families...and unborn generations.. It is not like you care anywayz. I have said my own sha.

Dis story is not coherent first d kidnappers know d rich politicians and dia family y not go for dem secondly it will be madness to just pick people without profile its a waste of time and money and lastly how did he know d hours blind folded

Please why is everyone leaving something out here? Mike Ozekhome was Farouks Lawan lawyer in the Otedola bribe scandal and blattantly lying and defending him saying he wasn't the one speaking in the recording. For bribe money, he was ready to defend a thief. Indirectly promoting coruption. Good for U. I hope they slapped you many times for that alone. Next time prosecute ppl like farouk, dont defend them.It'll make dis country better.

Well said don't mind this illitrates that blame there personal loss on everybody,nd everything around them....#workhard,nd stop blaming ur misfortune on others..crime can neva b answer to crime.2wrongs don't make a ryt

Nigeria government has always be the problem, we are in society where government do not care about what happens to its citizen, how can one go through all the struggles of acquiring a degree in order to get a job on for you for to get out of school after several years to be unemployed. the government sees the little children suffers day by day and they turn a blind eye, we operate a man know man thing, what of those who do not have who to help them? would they continue to wallow in poverty and pain?, I have never head of a corpse buried with money, all the money you stole will be left behind when die,dear government, wake up you have slept for too long!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yea yh its rare in Ghana bcos Ghana is a very small country,d population in lagos alone is far more dan d whole of ya country so definetely God will intervene cuz God loves Naija,Linda pls post my comment